Method of making a tire



April 14, 1970 c. R. KLINE, JR

METHOD OF MAKING A TIRE original Filed Dec. 15, 1965 INVENTOR. CRANDALL R AGENT United States Patent O Int. Cl. B29h 17/02 U.S. Cl. 156-110 13 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE Rubber will extrude through the spaces at the tread and shoulders of the carcass of a pneumatic tire made of giant cords, when the tire is inflated for curing. This is prevented by providing a retainer formed of smaller cords inside of the ply or plies of larger cords and, if desired, between plies of giant cords or both between plies of giant cords and inside of the inner ply of giant cords. The tire is then cured in a mold with an airbag or bladder in the usual manner.

The foregoing abstract is not to be taken as limiting the invention of this application, and in order to understand the full nature and extent of the technical disclosure/of this application, reference must be made to the accompanying drawing and the following detailed description.

This application is a division of my prior copending application Ser. No. 626,262 tiled Mar. 27, 1967, now Patent 3,452,800, issued July 1, 1969 which is a continuation of my application Ser. No. 330,314 filed Dec. 13, 1963 and now abandoned.

This invention relates to a green tire made with bias cut plies composed of at least one giant cord ply, and to both the curing of such a tire and the cured tie.

The cord in the carcass plies of a tire are covered with rubber, as by calendering, and often rubber cushions are provided adjacent to one or both surfaces of a ply.

The cords in the respective plies are very close to one another and may even be tightly compressed against one another at the beads, and are also very close to one another in the side walls of the tire. On the other hand, in the shoulder portions of the shaped tire, the distance between the cords is greater and there are spaces of substantial width, being almost as wide as the cords themselves, in some situations. When larger cords are used the spaces are of greater width than when smaller cords are used, and this is primarily a function of the original cord count. The width of the spaces between the cords depends not only upon the size of the cords and the original cord count, but also upon the size and shape of the tire, the ply angles, and the original circumferential length of the carcass plies.

This invention relates to the manufacture of tires in which spaces between the carcass cords in the tread portion of the completed and shaped tire measure as much as .04 inch or more. This is equal to the spacing developed when a ply of cords, each of .05 inch in diameter, is pantographed suciently to space the cords at least about 80 percent of their diameter.

When a tire formed with spaces this wide or wider in its shoulder portions is placed under pressure in a mold, and is heated for curing, the rubber is extruded outwardly through these spaces. If such extrusion occurs through the spaces between the cords of the lirst or inner ply, these cords are brought nearer to the inner surface of the completed tire, so that this surface becomes somewhat corrugated in the tread portion of the tire. This is Considered objectionable from the customer standpoint, and the tires 3,506,513 Patented Apr. 14, 1970 are not considered as desirable as those with the smooth inner surface to which the public has becomes accustomed. If the extrusion occurs in the spaces between the cords of the second ply (or some succeeding ply if more than two plies are used) the rubber which is intended to separate the plies is extruded from between the plies and the plies are brought objectionably close together.

According to this invention, such extrusion of rubber through the spaces between giant cords in the tread portion of the carcass of a tire is overcome by providing one or more fabric retainers inside of the inner ply of the tire in the tread portion, which retainer contains cords so small and so numerous that the spaces between them in the tread portion are not of suicient size, i.e. no more than .03 inch, to permit any substantial amount of rubber to be extruded through them. Likewise, one or more such fabric retainers may be provided between the various carcass plies to maintain a cushion of rubber between them. The retainers are bias cut, and usually two retainers are used in the tire to give a balanced structure.

If a retainer of smaller cords is located between two plies of large cords, and all of the rubber is extruded outwardly from between the retainer and the next outer ply, this retainer is brought into Contact with this ply, but this is not as objectionable as having two plies of larger cords brought into Contact. The Contact points where the cords cross are smaller (although they are more numerous), and the smaller cords are more flexible and therefore more able to withstand distortion without causing separation at the contact points.

By giant cords, we refer generally to cords that are substantially .05 inch in diameter, or larger, but we are more specifically interested in tires with cords (of any size) so large that in the shoulder portion of the tire, where the spacing is greatest, there is a space of at least .04 inch between them. The retainers of this invention are most advantageously used in tires constructed of large cords which have a high blow-up ratio and high ply rating. The large cords may be formed of cotton, nylon, rayon, polyester or other cord material. The smaller cords in the fabric retainer also may be cotton, nylon, rayon, polyester or other cord material. The cords in the retainer may be of the same composition as the large cordsor they may be of a different composition. They are of so much smaller diameter and so much more numerous that the spaces between them at the shoulders of the tire are so small as to prevent any substantial extrusion of rubber through them. Usually these cords will be less than .04 inch in diameter, but this will depend upon the size and shape of the tire.

Using large cords, ordinarily only two carcass plies are required in the smaller tires. The fabric retainers work equally well in tires in which there are many plies in the carcass.

A fabric retainer need cover only the tread portion of the tire, and down over the shoulders, where the pantographed cords are spaced farthest from one another. It usually extends to the toes of the tire and may extend under the beads.

The fabric retainer and the giant cords in the carcass plies are covered with rubber by calendering or any other usual procedure.

The invention will be further described in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a section through a tire formed of biascut plies, in which a fabric retainer is used as a liner;

FIGURE 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1 with a portion of the liner broken away to show that in this preferred type of structure the cords of the fabric retainer cross the cords of the inner ply;

FIGURE 3 is a detailed section of the tread portion of a two-ply tire showing a fabric retainer used as a liner,

and another fabric retainer used between the two plies each of which plies are composed of giant cords; and

FIGURE 4 is a section showing two plies of giant cords brought together in the absence of a fabric retainer.

In the drawings, FIGURE l is illustrative of a tire Of any usual construction, and shows more particularly a tire with single beads 5, an inner ply 6, and an outer ply 7. The plies 6 and 7 are bias plies made up of giant cords, the cords in the different plies being criss-crossed. The giant cords in each ply are substantially .05 inch in diameter or larger.

The retainer or liner 8 is made of cords .04 inch in diameter or smaller. The spaces between the cords of smaller diameter in the shoulder portions of the tire are no greater than .03 inch and are not sufficiently wide to permit any substantial extrusion of the rubber through them. As illustrated in FIGURE 2, if the plies 6 and 7 are bias plies, the cords in the fabric retainer 8 adjacent the ply 6 are preferably parallel to the cords in the ply 7, although alternatively they may lbe parallel to the cords in the ply 6. Two or more fabric retainers may be used, although generally a single retainer is sufficient under each ply.

When the green tire has been assembled and placed in a mold, and then is heated and inflated to any usual pressure prior to cure, by inflation of an impervious elastomeric member which covers the inner surface of the tire, so that the outer surface of the tire is brought into pressure contact with the mold surface, the fabric retainer 8 keeps the rubber in place on the inner surface of the tire and, if the tire is a tubeless tire, the usual rubber liner is kept intact inside of the inner ply. Thus the usual amount of rubber is maintained inside of the fabric on the inner surface of the tire. If the fabric retainer 8 were not there, during the ination and cure of the tire in a mold some or perhaps most of this rubber in the tread portion of the tire would be extruded through the spaces Ibetween the giant cords of the inner ply 6, and perhaps also through the spaces between the giant cords of the outer ply 7. The inner surface of the tread portion of this tire, instead of being smooth, would be corrugated conforming generally to the fabric surface of the inner cord ply.

FIGURE 3 is a section of the tread portion of a tire of different design, and it is to be compared with the section of a tire shown in FIGURE 4. In the tire of FIGURE 3 there is a fabric retainer 10 inside of the inner ply of giant cords and a fabric retainer 12 between the plies 11 and 13 of giant cords. This retainer extends no further than the toes of the tire and may terminate in the side- Wall areas. FIGURE 4 shows a tire in which the two plies 11 and 13 are not separated by any fabric retainer, but the rubber has been extruded between the spaces between the cords in the outer ply and the plies are in Contact with one another. Such a tire has low resistance to separation lbetween the plies during service. The inner surface of the tire is corrugated due to the extrusion of. the rubber from the inner surface of the tire between the cords of the inner ply 11 and then between the cords of the second ply 13, in the shoulder and tread portions of `the tire prior to and during the curing of the tire is a mold. The fabric retainers shown in FIGURE 3 prevent such extrusion.

The tire may be of any usual construction, using any fabric and any rubber composition except that it includes at least one ply of giant cords and one fabric retainer,A

as described, and it may be cured in any type of mold at any usual temperature and pressure. It is understood that the improved process does not depend upon the nature of the rubber compound used, or the temperature or pressure used during curing.

It has been found that the fabric retainers not only prevent extrusion of rubber while the tire is inflated for curing in a mold, but also prevent extrusion of the vulcanized rubber between the giant cords subsequently, after the cured tire which has been stretched during prolonged use, is inflated. In fact, the use of a retainer to prevent extrusion of rubber through the spaces betwen the cords in an inflated tire does not depend upon the tire being cured in a mold.

What is claimed is:

1. The method of making a pneumatic tire using a rubber-covered, bias-cut curable ply of giant cords which ply is the radially innermost ply in the shaped green tire and has spaces between the giant cords in the shoulder portions at least substantially .04 inch across, there being inwardly of said ply a curable rubber-covered bias-cut retainer of smaller cords which cross the cords of the ply, which method comprises terminating each respective lateral edge of said retainer interiorly of the tire between a shoulder and a bead region thereof, inflating and thereby pantographing the cords in the ply and in the retainer and in so doing spacing the cords of the retainer in the shoulders of the pantographed product closer to one another than the giant cords and so close to one another that the spaces between them are sufficiently smaller than the aforesaid spaces to prevent extrusion of rubber therethrough, and heating and thereby curing the inflated tire in a mold while preventing the extrusion of any substantial amount of heated rubber outwardly through the spaces in said ply of giant cords by said retainer.

2. The method of claim 1 in which the tire is made in a mold and in inflating, an impervious elastomeric member is inflated and thereby pressed against the inner surface of the tire thereby pressing the outer surface of the tire against the inner mold surface.

3. The method of producing a pneumatic tire with two criss-crossed curable plies of rubber-covered bias-cut giant cords which plies are respectively the radially innermost and next radially outward plies with the spaces between the giant cords in the shoulder portions of the shaped green tire at least substantially .04 inch, with a curable, rubber-covered bias-cut retainer of smaller cords Within the plies of giant cords with the cords of the retainer parallel to the cords of the outer of said plies, which method comprises terminating each respective lateral edge of said retainer interiorly of the tire between a shoulder and under a bead thereof, inflating and thereby pantographing the cords in the plies and retainer whereby the spaces between the giant cords in the shoulder portion of the tire measure at least substantially .04 inch and the spaces between the cords in the retainer become so small in the shoulder portion of the tire that no substantial amount of heated rubber passes therethrough and heating and thereby curing the inated tire in a mold while preventing the extrusion of heated rubber outwardly through the spaces between the giant cords by the retainer.

4. The method of claim 3 in which the tire is made in a mold and in inflating, an impervious elastomeric member is inflated and thereby pressed against the inner surface of the tire thereby pressing the outer surface of the tire against the inner mold surface.

5. The method of manufacturing a pneumatic tire with at least one curable ply of rubber-covered giant cords the spaces between which in the shoulder portions of the tire measure at least substantially .04 inch, which ply is the inner ply of the tire, and positioned within this there is a curable rubber-covered, bias-cut retainer of smaller cords which cross said giant cords, which method comprises terminating each respective lateral edge of said retainer interiorly of the tire between a shoulder and under a bead thereof, inflating and thereby pantographing the cords in the ply and the retainer so that the spaces between the giant cords in the shoulder portion of the tire measure at least .04 inch and the spaces between the cords in the retainer in said shoulder portions of the tire are so small that no appreciable amount of heated rubber is extruded therethrough, and heating and thereby curing the inflated tire in a mold while the fabric retainer prevents extrusion of heated rubber outwardly through said spaces between the giant cords.

6. The method of claim 5 in which the tire is made in a mold and in inating, an impervious elastomeric member is inliated and thereby pressed against the inner surface of the tire thereby pressing the outer surface of the tire against the inner mold surface.

7. The method of manufacturing a pneumatic tire with a curable ply of rubber-covered, bias-cut giant cords the spaces between which in the shoulder portions of the shaped green tire measure at least substantially .04 inch, which ply is located outwardly from at least one other ply of giant cords, and there is between this ply and the next inner ply a curable, rubber-covered, bias-cut retainer of smaller cords which cross the giant cords, which method comprises terminating each respective lateral edge of said retainer interiorly of the tire between a shoulder and an under bead region thereof, inflating the tire and pantographing the cords in the plies and the retainer so that the spaces between the giant cords in the shoulder portion of the tire measure at least .04 inch and the spaces between the cords in the retainer are so small that no substantial amount of heated rubber passes through the spaces between the giant cords and heating and thereby curing the inflated tire in a mold while the retainer prevents extrusion of heated rubber outwardly through the spaces between the giant cords.

8. The method of claim 7 in which the tire is made in a mold and in inflating, an impervious elastomeric member is inflated and thereby pressed against the inner surface of the tire thereby pressing the outer surface of the tire against the inner rnold surface.

9. The method of curing a pneumatic tire formed with two adjacent curable plies of giant cords, the spaces 4between which cords in the shoulder portions of the shaped green tire measure at least substantially .04 inch, with a curable, rubber-covered, bias-cut retainer of smaller cords between said plies and another such retainer inside of the plies, which method comprises inflating the tire and thereby pantographing the cords in the plies and the retainer, so that the spaces between the giant cords in the shoulder portion of the tire measure at least .04 inch and the spaces between the cords in the respective retainers are so small that no substantial amount of heated rubber passes therethrough, and heating and thereby curing the inflated tire in a mold while the retainers prevent extrusion of any substantial amount of heated rubber through the spaces between the giant cords in the respective plies.

10. The method of claim 9 in which the tire is made in a Amold and in infiating, an impervious elastomeric member is inflated and thereby Ipressed against the inner surface of the tire thereby pressing the outer surface of the tire against the inner mold surface.

11. The method of making a tire having a pair of axially spaced apart beads and a plurality of plies of rubber and giant cords extending at generally equal and respectively opposite oblique angles with respect to a plane normal to the tire axis between said beads and having in the shoulder portions of the completed tire after pantographing cord-to-cord spacings of at least about 0.04 inch, said method comprising disposing inwardly of the radially innermost of said plies at least one retainer and between said innermost and the next radially outward ply at least one retainer, each said retainer comprising parallel cord fabric the cords of which are significantly smaller than are said giant cords and lie in crossing relation with the giant cords of the respectively outward next adjacent ply, then pantographing simultaneously the plies of giant cords and the retainers of small cords to effect the aforesaid spacings and spaces between the cords of the retainers less than 0.03 inch.

12. The method of making a tire having a pair of axially spaced beads and at least one ply of giant cords and rubber extending therebetween and having in the completed tire after pantographing cord-to-cord spacings 0f at least about 0.04 inch, said method comprising preventing signilicant relative displacement between said cords and said rubber by disposing inwardly of and in surface contact with said ply in said tire, a retainer of curable rubber and parallel cord fabric the cords of which are significantly smaller and more closely spaced than are said giant cords, and terminating the respective lateral edges of said retainer interiorly of said tire between a shoulder and a bead region thereof.

13. The method of making a tire having a pair of axially spaced beads and at least one ply of giant cords and rubber extending therebetween and having in the completed tire after pantographing cord-to-cord spacings of at least about 0.04 inch, said method comprising disposing between said one ply and the interior surface at least one retainer of parallel cord fabric and curable rublber the cords of which are significantly smaller and more closely spaced than are said giant cords, terminating the respective lateral edges of said retainer interiorly of the tire between the shoulder and the bead region thereof, and then pantographing and curing said tire by inflating said tire into pressure contact with a suitable tire mold, whereby there is provided in said tire after the same is cured a non-corrugated interior surface of rubber.

I References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,747,533 2/1930 Sessions 156-110 2,006,315 6/1935 HOpkinSOn 152-356 2,317,912 4/1943 HOWe 152-356 2,625,980 1/1953 Castricum 156-123 XR BENJAMIN A. BORCHELT, Primary Examiner S. C. BENTLEY, Assistant Examiner 

